Taken
by C.Watherston
Summary: When Inara and Mal's sons are taken by an old enemy, the ride is going to be rough, bloody and blazing! A Second Generation Fiction; NB-for a better introduction to Serenity's children, read Snapshots of Their Lives and Change.
1. Taken

Mal came too slowly and in pain. He groaned and rolled onto his belly, pushing himself to his hands and knees. He spat out the tacky glob of blood in his mouth and shook his aching head to clear it. Still on his hands and knees, he counted cracked ribs, the slick blood down the side of his face from the wound that knocked his lights out and the inevitable bullet in his shoulder.

Then suddenly, his breath froze. The last hour came rushing back. Time froze. His blood froze. He looked up. The mule was stick stuck in the side of the sandstone canyon wall, a thinning twist of black smoke rising up from it. Kaylee was going to kill him, but that was the last thing on his mind right now.

"NARA! BOOK! INNDEE!" he roared, scanning the crash site desperately.

"Cap-t'n"

Mal barely caught the soft reply, scanned the crash site and saw Jayne, sitting by the canyon wall, barely breathing. Dragging himself to his feet, he was suddenly beside the big man, heart thudding hard in his chest. He crouched, lifted Jayne's hands from his belly and swore at the rush of blood that followed. Undeterred, Jayne grabbed his arm, staining the cream shirt red.

"Tried...cap...I tried...got...shot" he gasped softly in Mal's ear. The Captain grabbed the merc's shoulder and looked into those half-closed eyes, trying to read them with a cold heart.

"Where are my boys, Jayne? Where's Nara?"

He followed the direction of his shaking finger to the shady side of the crashed mule. Distraught blue eyes crashed with blue-grey and blood bubbled on Jayne's lips as he spoke.

"Lost...Nara, in the fight...but, Mal, they...took the boys"

Malcolm Reynolds wasn't scared of much. It took a lot to shake a man like that. He'd seen too much, lived through too much, faced too much to be shaken. He could stand being shot, he could crack a joke in a torture chamber and he could keep a cool head as all around him guns were cocked and bullets flew. In just about any situation, Mal Reynolds was a collected, joking pillar of brilliant, half-assed ideas and escape plans. For all that, the word 'took' stilled his heart.

With hands that were shaking now, Mal ripped his shirt sleeve off, made a pad and pressed it hard to the hole in Jayne's belly.

"_Ta ma de! _ _Qing wa cao de liu mang!_"

Mal ignored him. Belly wounds were no laughing matter. He had a blinding flashback to Kaylee, laying on the cargo bay floor, all those long years ago. They had to get Simon, or the big man didn't have a chance in hell.

"_Bizui_! You won't have to deal with your psychotic woman if you die!"

Jayne didn't reply. Not sure whether the merc was passed out or recovering his strength to launch another round of profanities at him, Mal took a shallow breath and pushed himself upright. Ignoring the agony, he forced himself into a jog and found her, eyes closed, in the shade of the mule.

"Inara! Nara!"

He fell to his knees by her side, desperate, and checked her pulse; it replied back strongly under his fingers. He breathed a third of a sigh of relief and pulled her into his arms, kissing her temple gently. He realised he wouldn't breath the other two thirds until Book and Inde were back in his arms.

"Nara? Nara, _mei ren _can you hear me?"

She murmured, and then her black eyes flew open. He held her hands as they grappled for some purchase on reality. She looked into his eyes, read his face like breathing, and burst into tears. Clenching his jaw so hard it hurt, Mal kissed every inch of her face as he dragged her to her feet.

"Oh, God, God, no, no, no" she sobbed, helplessly clutching his shirt. The only thing holding her on her feet was Mal's strength and it terrified the unshakeable captain.

"Nara, you need to listen. _Stop! _We gotta to find the boys, Nara! You can't help 'em like this, _dong ma_? You need to help me fix the comm. unit so we can get help. Jayne's shot" he shook her a little, unconsciously, and for a moment it seemed to help. She took a shuddering breath, put her shaking hands either side of his face and stared into his eyes.

"I couldn't...I tried...Mal, why have they done this?"

The rivulets of tears become a flood down her cheeks, tracing wavering lines through the dirt and blood on her face. She fell against him again, and as always, Mal caught her, even as his mind spun enough to put him out of place. His ribs screamed and he staggered against the side of mule, holding her fiercely, taking small comfort in the smell of jasmine and incense.

"I dunno. I dunno _bao bei _but I plan on finding out"

The boy sat with blue eyes wide and terrified, legs to his chest, looking out of the cage like a beaten puppy. Beside him, his brother stood, rage in every wiry line of his body. Black eyes of his mother glared evenly at their kidnappers, small and toughened hands making white-knuckled fists by his sides. One side of his body was caked in dirt where he'd been dragged onboard a hovercraft.

"Book, I'm scared"

Book looked down at his brother, nine-year-old Independent Reynolds, and sat down beside him. He put his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders and said nothing. His mind was a vacant whirl of bloody images.

"Dad's gunna come get us, right?" whispered Inde again. Book looked at his brother and nodded. Inde was trying desperately not to be scared, but terror was written into every wiry line of his small body. As for Book, all his fear was cloaked in anger.

"Course he is, and Uncle Jayne and Auntie River, and Auntie Zoe too. Don't worry about it, _s__iao di di_. They're coming right now"

"How are they gunna know where we are?"

Book gritted his teeth and looked out of their cage, studying the slick silver interior of this very fast spaceship, looking at the five hardened, rough men who sat around, chortling and laughing, passing a bottle of brown liquor. They were hurtling through space. There was no way stout old _Serenity _could catch this bird, and young Book didn't like Uncle Jayne's chances of getting back up after the hit he'd taken with that big rifle laying across one merc's lap.

Instead, he grinned cockily at Inde, the perfect younger version of his father.

"Coz River'll pick up the trail, won't she? These guys dunno who they're messing with!"


	2. They came like wolves

By the time the others arrived with _Serenity, _Mal had traced the tracks of their attackers enough to know they had headed directly into the sun. He shielded his eyes from the swirling dust as the big Firefly landed and braced himself as, holding the pounding blood in his shoulder, as a moment later, Zoe and Simon came down the gangway.

"Captain, what the-what happened here?" Simon was the first to speak, coming forward, dropping his case in the dirt and examining the bullet in Mal's shoulder. The Captain waved him off.

"Don't worry 'bout me. Jayne took a bullet in the gut, go see him. Where's 'Tross?"

Simon took off to the corner of the canyon, meeting Inara halfway, and talking very fast. There was blood down the beautiful woman's front, staining her lovely silk clothes. Mal turned to Zoe.

"They came on a hovercraft, from the west. Knew we were coming from the town, through the canyon, waited for us here at the bottleneck. Where's River?"

Zoe scanned around her, eyes still moving as she spoke.

"She had a fit, she must have known. Simon _had _to give her a soother, she was scaring them"

Mal stifled the urge to curse.

"You had any communication? They asked for somethin'?" spoke Mal after a moment of heady silence. Zoe shook her head, confused.

"Why would they ask for...where's the boys?"

He met her eyes. That's all he had to do.

Her back stiffened and the steel began to melt in her eyes, turning molten. Somebody was going to pay dearly for this. The Captain closed his eyes and swore colourfully. He heard bare feet on metal and looked up the gangplank.

It was River. She was standing in all her wild, insane beauty; hair in tumbling brown ringlets past her shoulders, feet bare, a blue dress swirling around her neat ballerina's body. Behind her, they could hear the children coming down the stairs.

"Bullet, _squish _in the belly, and an ambush! Simon should not have incapacitated...they're...stolen"- She went still too, and the anger left her body, her hands going to her mouth, eyes wide. Mal looked down and closed his eyes, knowing what she had just Read. Behind her, Washburn Alleyne and Shuai-Dan arrived first; he lean and blonde and dark-skinned at fourteen, she small like a whippet with her father's dark hair and her mother's gentle brown eyes. A moment later, Tai-Ao arrived; every inch of him his father, but his looks were his mother's. He was growing out of his smart-mouthed prankster stage at twelve years old.

"Captain, what's going on?" Burn spoke first. He'd stopped calling Mal 'Uncle' when he was ten. They had to grow up too fast on this boat. Shuai said nothing; she watched.

"Go back inside" ordered Mal tiredly, his attention on River as she moved towards them, wincing as her bare feet hit the scorched, hot earth. Briefly, her little hand settled on Mal's shoulder. Her voice was less crazy as usual as she spoke softly.

"They came like wolves and stole the lambs. He tends the flock, but he cannot be prepared for an assault from a pack. He could not have stopped them with his staff"

The children looked on, confused, until Mal clarified.

"We got jumped. They shot Jayne, and they took Inde and Book"

Shuai went stiff and bit her lip as Tai's eyes went wide. Burn's hands turned to fists by his sides, the only outward sign of any emotion.

"I'm gunna go to the bridge and see if anyone's talking" he said, turning away and breaking into a jog. Shuai nodded and followed him without a word. Tai-Ao gave her shoulder a squeeze as she walked past and faced the adults.

"What I can I do?" he asked.

Mal shook his head, turning to face the sinking sun as he ran anxious fingers through his hair. Zoe tapped her fingers on her bicep, arms folded.

"Go get Kaylee, see if we can get the mule onboard. Then fire her up. We're outta here as soon as Jayne's in the infirmary" she said to him. Tai-Ao nodded, relieved to have something to do, and took off.

River approached the flurry of activity by the canyon wall with her heart in her mouth. She could feel the waves of pain from her lover, crashing against her subconscious. She could feel Simon's cool-headed worry and Inara's frantic panic beneath the surface of calm, like a shark about to launch into a feeding frenzy.

Lying beneath Simon's administrations, Jayne felt her approach and let the wave of relief wash over him, wordlessly transmitting at her as she approached. He pushed his eyes open and reached for her with one bloody hand. River took it with both of hers and pressed it to her cheek, feeling his thumping pulse under hard muscle and calluses. Ignoring the streak of crimson on her flawless porcelain features, he revelled silently in the feel of her skin under his fingertips.

"This is why he should not rush blindly into situations without her! He gets shot all the time" snapped River tearfully. Jayne managed a weak smile.

"Ah...shurrup girl...get shot when yore...with me...anyhow"

"He only gets shot _sometimes_ when he is with her. His chances of sustaining injury increase by 58% when he is without his partner" she admonished darkly, her mood switching and drying up the tears. He entwined their fingers gently and waited until Simon turned to his bag to speak.

"D'you see 'em...'fore he put ye under?" he asked softly. She nodded, struggling with the swamp of grief that overcame her relief.

"Got lost in the swirling darkness that she cannot navigate. Could not even signal reason for her distress before the oblivion was administered to protect the nestlings. The thieves do not know they stole from _Serenity_" she finished, her voice foreboding. He nodded, understanding even in the throes of her crazy talk. Beaten by the power of her visions, Simon had given her a soother to stop her scaring the children.

"S'alright, girl. They was too...damn fast...bastards got the better o' me too"

She felt his distress and smoothed back his sweaty dark hair. They had no children, the girl and the man, but not from her lack of trying. Jayne was adamant she was still too young; it had led to argument more than once, mostly because she knew it was Simon and Mal talking when he opened his mouth about it. The five children who had grown up under the watchful protection of Jayne and River were closer to him than his own nieces and nephews back on his home planet. He felt like he had failed, and the uselessness of being wounded only pulverized his pride even more.

"The blindness will fade soon. When she can see without her eyes, we will find the stolen lambs and return them to the flock before the wolf can do too much damage"

He nods and leans back, closing his eyes as the pain killers start to kick in. Simon lays a hand on his shoulder, checking him. Jayne opens one eye and takes in the doc's worried expression with a grimace.


	3. Could only be us

Young Washburn was sitting in his father's seat, scanning channels with furious control. His rage was like a mirage, real to see but shimmering out of reach, impossible to soothe. Shuai-Dan was standing, watching the activity outside through the windscreen as Kaylee joined Simon, River and Jayne. Tai-Ao was with her, carrying a tool box painted with strawberries and buttercups; a present from Shuai and Inde one year for her birthday.

"We're gunna find 'em. I just don't know how" said Shuai, breaking the silence. He looked at her. One of these days, very soon, the menfolk of _Serenity _were going to be beating suitors off her with sticks. Her brown hair was mousy and straight, pulled up in a high pony-tail, no nonsense and practical. She wore heavy denim pants, baggy on her slight form. A little black t-shirt showed promise of lean, feline curves in a year or so. Those brown eyes, her mother's eyes, met his, unflinchingly, warm and hard at the same time. He could get lost in eyes like that.

He clenched his jaw and looked out the window. First of all, he had to get a rein on these weird thoughts rushing around his head. He'd been getting weird thoughts around Shuai a lot lately, freaking him out. Mal and Jayne and Uncle Simon had all given him their awkward attempts at The Talk, fumbling and tripping around it before Inara took pity on him and swept him away into her old shuttle for a long discussion. Mal had blushed and stumbled, Jayne had been crude and Simon had stumped him the technical side of the whole thing; as if it wasn't awkward enough that he was Shaui's dad!

There was no way this was the time or the place to be having thoughts like that. There _was _no time or place to be having thoughts like that. Dammit, the girl was like his _cousin!_

There was no way this was the time or the place to be having thoughts like that. There _was _no time or place to be having thoughts like that. Dammit, the girl was like his _cousin_!

"I dunno, Shuai. I'm not picking anything up. I mean...why? Revenge? Slavery? Ransom? It doesn't make a lick of sense!"

"Two of our own just got taken, 'Burn. Nothings gunna make sense till we get them back" she said, a vocalised thought that made him appraise her again. They all kinda grew up fast around here, but those words were pretty grown-up for the girl he remembered in red overalls and pink sneakers. He nodded, agreeing slowly. Suddenly, something caught his attention on a passing transmission and he turned it up, trying to catch the fading words.

"...two boys...Firefly class...brought...old mule down..."

Then there was another voice, replying to this; "...a Firefly doing...backwater?...you see...faces?"

"...two men...woman in silk...Companion...shot...fought...kids might...hers"

The last part of the transmission began to get lost in static and other voices slicing in over it as the broadcaster lost the battle with distance. In the last frantic moments, Burn turned it up as loud as it would go and caught the last word; "...Reynolds..."

The transmission cut out completely and suddenly they were listening to a recount of a bar fight over a red-skirted whore. Burn turned it down with a shaking hand and looked at Shuai. The last word was ringing in both their ears; Reynolds. Put it together with a Companion and a Firefly class, it could only be them.

"Get Mal" he said. Without a word, she took off, her too-large boots, hand-me-downs from her mother, clumping noisily on the steel grating.

Burn warmed his hands quickly and tried to lock onto the place they'd lost the transmission. The Galaxy Positioning System they'd installed all of a month ago beeped and buzzed, and could only give him a general direction; out, across the moon of this planet, to be lost in the vast emptiness of the black. He swore softly and colourfully; a youth around Jayne Cobb had taught him plenty of curse words.

"Washburn!"

He turned and ignored the disapproving look on his mother's face.

"We picked something up. A transmission, coming from about there-"he jabbed the screen- "And getting lost fast. They were talking about two boys, a Firefly class, bringing an old mule down, a Companion and then they said your name; Reynolds!"

Mal went still. Zoe's hand automatically fell to her shotgun.

"Burn, are you sure?"

He hesitated.

"Gorrammit Burn!" Mal snapped, shouting.

He threw his hands in the air, leaping to his feet.

"I dunno! Okay? I. Don't. Know. It was fallin' outta range and it was all fuzzy, but I had it up real loud, and I'm pretty sure they said Reynolds...but the other stuff, the Companion an' the crashing the mule and the talk of two boys; that you can count on...could only be Book n' Inde"

There was silence for a long time, as Burn stood facing the adults, narrow chest heaving, and Zoe reflected on the man her boy was becoming. Mal sighed heavily, shakily and nodded. Without another word he turned on his heel and stormed away. Zoe sighed and looked at him. His bottom lip trembled but his face was an unreadable as hers.

"Don't pay no never mind to the cap'n, son. He's..." she shrugged helplessly. Burn looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded.

"I know, mamma...we gotta get 'em back"

She nodded her eyes hardening. Burn felt a chill. He'd never seen that look in his mother's eyes before; it was the steely promise that before they'd seen this thing through, somebody was going to die.

"We will"


	4. His father's son, his mother's child

Book shivered. It was damn cold on the ship. He'd given his jacket, the one he'd had wrapped around his hips, to Inde. His brother was curled up asleep with his head on his lap. His eyes half-closed, Book was surveying the silence of the ship, the almost empty helm. A man, the one who had shot Jayne, stood on watch; snoring loudly.

His dark eyes flicked, from the drunken snorer, to the portal through which the rest of the crew, all except one of them, had staggered away a few hours ago. His heart was beating very fast as he contemplated his next move; whatever it was going to be, it didn't involve sitting here on his arse like a gorram damsel in distress. Reynolds' boys were not well known for their ability to damsel.

He took a deep breath, put his hand over Inde's mouth and shook him awake. His eyes flew open and he tried to breathe in to scream through the palm over his mouth. Looking up and seeing his big brother, he relaxed. Slowly, Book took his hand away and stood up.

"Whatcha doin-"

Book slapped his hand over his mouth again and glared. Wordlessly, he jabbed two fingers at his own eyes, then at the portal. He pointed at himself, then at the control panel. Inde's eyes went wide, but he nodded. Kid had more steel in him than he let on.

From the pocket of the jacket Inde was wearing as a blanket, Book withdrew a tangle of wires on a ring; lock picks, good ones, for his birthday from his mother. 'All well-bred petty crooks should have a good set of lock picks' she'd said, smiling at his dad. It had been that weird smile she only gave dad, the one that made Auntie Kaylee smirk every time she saw it.

Sticking both his hands out of the bars, the stubborn lock caved to Book in about two minutes flat. He tried the door and froze at the tortured squeal of rusting metal. He looked over his shoulder at Inde.

"Spit on the hinges" he whispered. Inde frowned.

"But mamma said-"

"Spit on the gorram hinges, Independence!" he cut him off, snarling in a harsh whisper. Chastened, he crawled forward and greased up the noisy hinges while Book watched the drunkard and door. He could have done it himself, or at least helped, but the truth was his mouth was so dry it felt like he hadn't had anything to drink in years. His heart was beating that loud, if Inde got any closer he'd probably be able to hear the damn thing.

The second time he tried the door, it swung without a word of protest, to Book's relief. He crept forward, light on his feet, and slid into the co-pilots seat. He spent a long minute watching the drunken sentry before turning to stare at the control panel. Panic rose like bile in his mouth.

Now all that was left was to think of a plan...

Turn them around? Take the ship and head back to where _Serenity _was? No. Not a good idea. Nice in theory, but the second these pirates woke up, they were baked. So what else?

A signal! Send _Serenity _a WAVE, telling them where they were. Or at least where they were heading...neither of which Book knew. He cursed quietly, which didn't help for much else other than calm his nerves. Okay; where were they?

He attacked the ship's mainframe. Success! He found the autopilot and coordinates within minutes. He swore again and glanced at Inde, who gave him the thumbs up. He forced a smile and hoped it looked real. Then he looked back at the autopilot. They were heading for a moon called Hexon; it was a notorious base for slavers. Rage replaced his fear; there was no way in hell and gone they were selling this boy for a dogsbody!

He took a deep breath and kept the coordinates on the screen, boosting up the WAVE system.

"Book..."

He didn't look away from the screen. He was trying to remember the last two digits of _Serenity_'s WAVE code.

"Hang on, Inde, I'm nearly done"

"_Book_..."

They must have company coming. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he remembered and locked on. It would only take a split second-

"BOOK!"

He whirled around just in time to see a fist coming at him, and had enough time to throw himself backwards over the chair, landed on his hands and knees as another one came flying at him. He threw himself up and instinctively stepped aside. The body ran into the wall with a dull thud. The first man, the drunk, ran at him; he stepped aside and lashed out, a short, sharp and well-placed kick to his ankle that dropped him like a howling stone. Another came, faster this time. Book punched him; just the way River had drilled them too. His head snapped back, and then returned. Book wasn't ready for it; the blow smacked him in the face and threw him off his feet, onto his back. Dazed and heaving, he rolled onto his stomach to get up and away. The same guy landed a kick in his belly that threw him again, retching hard.

This time he played dead. There were voices, bouncing around the steel room until they were incomprehensible. He felt the heat of a larger body, standing above him, and tensed.

"What a goddamn wildcat, Winger! D'you see 'im? Damn, that hit've had a bit more weight to it, I woulda beet _ouuuttt _for the count!"

Book waited.

"I'd say you were very lucky, Earl-"

With Earl's attention now on Winger, Book leaped up and threw one leg out in a spectacular jumping side-kick...aimed low. Earl grunted in surprise then groaned in pain and dropped like a rock. The one of the crew that Book hadn't faced off yet, with the one who was limping and the one, who'd taken him by surprise at the chair, encircled him. The boy's eyes were narrowed, dangerous, and his weight was balanced. There wasn't a scrap of fear showing in his posture, eyes or sneering mouth.

So when he went down in the dog pile, at least one of them came up, nose bloodied. They dragged him, kicking and struggling, to his feet and clouted him over the head. He slumped and spat blood, eyes blazing fire. Earl, colour only just returning to his face, leered over him with a face like thunder, and cracked him in the face again. Vaguely, Book became suddenly away that Inde was shouting;

"LEAVE HIM ALONE! NO! STOP IT! LEAVE HIM-"

Click.

It was a very soft sound. Nobody should have been able to hear it; but Book did. Maybe it was only because aforementioned 'click' emitted from a gun, now pressed to Independence's temple. However, it froze them both.

"You hurt him and I'll kill you" the words were out before Book could stop them.

The man raised an eyebrow. He was Core-bred. You could tell straight away; even in the same beat up clothes as the other pirates, he oozed upper-class dignity and superiority. His eyes narrowed at him as the other men laughed.

"Oh? He is a friend of yours, little one?"

Book remained sullenly silent. Without moving the gun, the Core man chuckled.

"Well I'll take that as a no, and you won't mind if Earl here teaches him some manners..."

The blood drained away from both the brother's faces as the big goon Earl laughed and advanced on Inde. Book yanked so hard against the arms holding him her felt his shoulders crack.

"NO! DON'T HURT HIM! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM YOU GORRAM _GO TSAO DE HWOON DAN_! He's my brother! He's my brother, just leave him alone!"

Earl whistled mockingly at Book's curses. Wing, the Core-bred, just smiled coldly.

"Ah. Some answers. Frankie, would you mind escorting our young friend's brother here down to the spare bunk?" he pushed Inde forward hard, where he promptly tripped and fell on his knees. Frankie was the limping man on Book's right. The guy on Book's left slammed him to the ground and twisted both his arms painfully behind him to compensate for Book's sudden activity at the loss of the other guard. There was a fifth man, of course, but he stood well back from Book, nursing his bleeding nose.

"NO! What are you gunna do to him? Leave him ALONE, don't TOUCH him!"

Wing shook his head.

"We're not that kind of men, little one. I simply believe that if the safety of your brother is at stake, you won't go incapacitating any more of my men"

Book gritted his teeth and hung his head in silent agreement. Frankie grabbed Inde by the back of the neck as he did, and Inde growled;

"Our dad's gunna _kill _you when he finds you!"

Book stiffened. Oh _Wuh de tyen, ah_...

Wing crooked one eyebrow.

"Is that so? And who, pray tell, is my supposed killer?"

"No, Inde!-" "Mal Reynolds!" "_Go se_!"

Inde twisted to look at Book, who had sworn at the look on Wing's face. It was a bright, murderous light that caught on the sudden smile like sunlight on a crystal.

"Ah. My old friend did copulate with that goddamn whore"

"Don't you _talk _about my mamma!" yelled Inde, eyes narrowed. Wind looked at him.

"Don't call her a whore? That's what she is, boy"

Inde lifted his chin.

"Don't talk about her _at all_! You ain't good enough! She _was_ a Companion!"

Wind bowed mockingly.

"Indeed, my apologies-" he straightened "-Your mother _is_ a _high-class_ whore"

He turned to regard Book, glaring at him with those dark eyes that he should have recognised the minute he'd seen the boy, when these gorillas had dragged him onto this ship.

"Your mother and I were once great friends, little Reynolds. Until your father came along and stuffed her head full of ridicules ideas; like she was _better _than that. Then her _gallant hero _provokes me into a fight, cheated me out of my honour and left me to die!"

Inde shook his head and Book just snorted.

"You ain't got no honour to get cheated outta! My dad is a hero; you're pathetic"

Rage blacked Atherton Wing's features and he snarled.

"Shut him up! And take him to the bunk!"

Inde was picked up bodily as Book threw himself to his feet, shouting again. Blood pounded so fast he couldn't discern individual heartbeats.

The last thing Book Reynolds remembered was Earl's fist. Then it went black.


	5. A mutual friend

The crew of Serenity was gathered in the kitchen. Jayne was in the infirmary, out cold. Mal stood at the head of the kitchen table, facing them. For a moment, a horrible, heart-stopping second, River thought they were back before Miranda; Captain standing there looking like someone had dragged him through Hell backwards, them all sitting. In a sick parody, Zoe stood behind Washburn, her hand on his shoulder, just like she had stood behind Wash Senior as Mal addressed them with Doctor Caren's recording in his hand.

"_So no more running. I aim to misbehave" _

For a long second, Mal stood and gazed at his crew without saying a word.

River stared back at him, not Reading him, just reading his face, and trying to gauge his next move. She sat in the middle of the chair, turned towards him, back straight and eyes clear and direct. Her hands were gently folded in her lap and her ankles were tucked together neatly. She seemed like such a petite little package, an immaculate young woman, in those breeches and one of Jayne's t-shirts. Shame on him that thought she was. Ultimately, River Tam was a weapon; pretty, smart and often dryly humorous, dedicated to her brother, family and crew, and to Jayne; her partner, friend and lover, but she was a weapon just the same. Folded her hands in her lap was the same gesture as holstering a gun.

Beside her, the twins sat across from their parents, one dark-eyed, and the other blue-eyed; identical in their father's dark hair and fine Core bone structure. There was something earthy in them, something softer, that they could have only inherited from their mother. Shuai-Dan's brow creased, tapping a beat on the table top, but the only outward sign that Tai-Ao was anything but completely relaxed was his leg under the table; it was bouncing nervously, uncontrollably.

Simon was looking directly at Mal, standing behind Kaylee, eyes expressionless. His hands were behind his back; his position almost echoed Zoe's parade rest. His cuffs were unbuttoned and so where most of his other buttons. Apparently he'd thrown on a clean shirt before coming down to this meeting. River or Kaylee would have brought it to him. If it had been up to the doctor he would have been still with Jayne, in his bloody shirt and surgical gloves and not have even noticed.

Kaylee's eyes were red-rimmed, her face ruddy from crying. She must have cried with Inara earlier, because she sure hadn't been with Simon to let it all out. She was the only one of the crew showing their every emotion clearly; he could feel her fear and worry rushing off her. It felt wrong from _Serenity_'s little ray of sunshine.

Beside her, Inara held her hand and showed nothing but polite interest. He almost cursed her ability to put on her Companion masked, then stopped himself. If Inara had broken down again like she had at the mule, he wouldn't be able to cope. She knew it. They were both so closely linked that he couldn't look at her without looking at himself; there was hell glowing red in her eyes, there was in his too. If her hands shook a little, his were shaking a lot. He saw her sitting there, composed, and knew she was falling apart inside. But he took strength from her mask and moved his gaze on.

Zoe had murder in her eyes. She wasn't even trying to hide it. What she was masking was the fear, the _terror _that they'd lose the boys. If that happened, Malcolm Reynolds would fall into the black oblivion that Serenity Valley had put in him, and unconsciously drag her in with him. She'd almost gone there when Wash died and he'd been there to drag her out. But the darkness was inside them both; she wouldn't have the strength to pull him out this time. He didn't want to, he'd try not to, but he would. He was the godfather of her child, her comrade, her captain and her brother; he was the strongest link in the chain to her anchor.

Burn was leaning back into his mother's hand, arms folded against a black singlet. His long legs stretched out in front of him, encased in tan trousers, and the big black boots on his feet were crossed. He looked like a young man, a young soldier, ready to protect his family. If Mal had been paying attention, he would have raised an eyebrow when he saw the look that the youngster shot Shuai-Dan.

Finally, Mal took a deep breath and spoke.

"Y'all know the situation. My boys got took, and I don't take lightly to being taken from. Fact is they don't know who we are, so we can rule out most kinds of unpleasantness. We know they headed out, right 'round the corner of No an' Where, and we know they were Rimfolk. Only matter now is trackin' 'em, which could be a mite more difficult than it sounds"

He looked at River to reinforce his words. She nodded slowly, cocking her head to the side in that ever-so-slightly creepy way of hers when she was seeing without her eyes.

"Too much Black between the River and the nestlings. Echoing too loud to make sense of"

She flinched and her eyes opened wide.

"Crooked little men with guns cage the little birds, clip their wings because they try to fly away to the nest...crooked, devious, shady, slinking away into the black-" she frowned heavily "-Turned away by a master? But why...? Does the master know the eagle flies for the nestlings...?" her voice collapsed into soft mutters and she slumped, her hair falling down over her face. Shuai-Dan looked at Simon, who was frowning at her and approached his sister slowly from the side.

"_Mei-mei_? Can you hear me?"

River looked up, her eyes clear, and pushed her hair back. She gave Simon a nod, and looked at Mal.

"There is an order, a dismissal from a master. The crooked nestling thieves were cut loose" she informed him. Somebody cursed softly. Probably Simon. Mal ran his hand over his face.

"Well now, looking to me like we gots ourselves a buncha contract crooks to find here. Only one person in the 'Verse whose a bigger crook than me, mayhap she'll help us out"

Inara read his mind in an instant and raised one perfectly arched brow.

"Last we heard she was serving time in goal"

Tiredly, Mal snorted.

"Yeah. How long do you 'spose that lasted?"

He stood a little straighter.

"Tross; chart us a course to the nearest an' baddest knothole for naughty people such as might find themselves in the company of our mutual friend"


	6. The meek lion

"Captain Daddy there is a WAVE from the meek lion" River's voice sounded faraway and loose over the intercom. Jayne, lying in the infirmary with Mal and Simon, winced. He paused for a moment before blurting out; "She ain't holding up all that well is she?"

Old habits die hard. Mal looked down at the pale-faced merc and sighed, heading for the door.

"I reckon tis to be expected. She ain't spent this much time hanging about lookin' into things outta sight before"

Jayne nodded.

"I don't like it, Mal"

Mal paused in the doorway and tightened his fists, then relaxed them.

"Neither do I. But it's the only thing for it. She'll be alright. We stocked up on-"

"That ain't what I'm on about, cap'n. I'm talking about letting that crazy bitch back on board _Serenity_!"

"Oh, that-" Mal shrugged nonchalantly- "That ain't to be helped neither. She won't be spending any time on the ship at all, if I can help it. Just sound things out, see what's what, and get out"

Jayne looked as if he was about to say something, but then Simon flicked a syringe and absorbed his attention. Mal grinned at the flare of argument and headed for the bridge, where his smirk immediately faded. River was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, and there was a familiar face on the WAVE screen. Mal sighed heavily and sat down.

The red-haired con artist gave a predatory grin.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Long time no see"

"Heard you were in a deep, dark lock up someplace nasty. What'd you do, marry the prison guard?"

A high, bell-like laugh.

"Oh, Malcolm, don't be silly. If the magistrate wants to be giving me expensive gifts that have him put up for review and records of my wrongful incarceration are lost in the process, it's no _plan_ of mine. It's simply flawless timing and good luck!"

She gave that predatory grin again. He rolled his eyes and said nothing more. After a long moments uncomfortable silence, she spoke again, sarcasm thick in her voice.

"Mal, if you're trying the strong-and-silent type approach, don't. It bores me stupid you know. I heard you were looking for me, through a friend of a friend. You finally gunna shoot me Mal?"

Mal's lips jerked in a tight satire of a smile.

"Oh, honey, don't tempt me. I need your help, as much as I don't believe the words are coming outta my own mouth"

She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She leaned down closer to the camera, down on her folded arms and displayed her lush cleavage shamelessly. Mal's eyes didn't even waver for a moment. She laughed again.

"Well, Mal, I'm impressed..." her voice trailed off. Mal smelled incense and heard the soft rustle of clothes, turning to see Inara ducking through the door to stand behind him. She'd changed her clothes so she wore a satin sarong over grey breeches and fine, calf-high boots. Her blouse was fine cotton and she wore her quiver. He shot her a hard smile.

His beautiful woman was dressed for war. Mal faced the screen again.

"As I was saying, I need an ear to the ground. I'm looking for two boys, eleven and nine, got taken from Hazel; little moon just out of the Jupiter system. Older boy's dark-eyed, dark-haired, an' the younger one's blue-eyed, blonde hair. There's a reward up. Dangle that in some faces, see-"

"They yours?"

He stilled under Inara's hand on his shoulder and bit the inside of his lip. The pause was a split second too long; she already knew. Her eyes were gleaming as she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you finally got around to sexing her, Mal. I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed"

"Can you help us find our sons or not, Yo-Saff-Bridge?" snapped Mal. Saffron laughed mockingly and Inara's hand tightened, tightly reassuring and restraining.

"Do I get that reward?"

"Depends if you bring us sommat worth rewarding"

"Then I'll see what I can find"

"Saffron?"

She paused and tried not to show the chills that ran up her spine when Inara leaned around Mal to look deeply into the camera, those black eyes boring into the pieces of her soul not sold.

"If you double cross us, if you try to play us, you inadvertently hurt my boys...and for that, you will scream a thousand deaths before I put you down like sickened mongrel"

She shut off the screen and rocked back on her heels. For a long time, Mal watched her as she struggled. Then, as the first tear slipped down her face, she tried to turn tail and run like she had so many times before. As usual though, he took her hand and pulled her back, into the welcoming circle of his arms. They both cried, curled up together on the seat...

Burn answered the WAVE and stared at the beautiful woman for a long moment before going crimson and calling for Mal over the intercom.

"He-" his voice squeaked and Burn cleared his throat, going an even deeper red "-He'll be with you in a sec" he managed finally, and went back to the controls. Saffron was watching him, speechless for the first time in a long time, and crooked an eyebrow after a moment's observation.

"Are you the pilot's boy?" she asked suddenly. Burn turned and studied her, remembering all the stories that had been told about this woman. He had unknowingly stood a little straighter when she said those words. Every time he ever heard them, he felt pride deep in his chest.

"Yes, ma'm"

Saffron gave a sad smile, remembering the man who had resisted her in the top gear of her charms, because of his love for the first mate: because he was a good man, above all else.

"He was a good man you know"

Burn shook his head.

"My father was a great man, ma'm" he said simply as Mal came in with Zoe close behind. She paused when she heard his words, her foot coming down heavier than she meant to as she crossed the lip on the threshold. Proud grief glittered deep inside her, than was smothered again. Mal stepped past Burn and glared at the face on the screen. Behind him, Zoe wished she could wipe the self-satisfied smirk off the bitch's face.

"What?" he demanded.

"I spoke to one of my contacts-"

"He your husband too?" prodded Zoe.

"No...but now that you mention it..." her voice trailed off thoughtfully. Mal cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Anyway, my man says his slavers picked up your boys-"

Mal froze, hardly daring to hope. She shook her head, and if Zoe didn't know better, she'd say there was unhappiness there at delivering this news.

"He fig'ed they were yours, and you being the big, bold hero of Miranda, he didn't want nothing to do with it. Told his slavers to keep flying. If they're heading anywhere, it's Patrice. Only slave markets in 'Verse where a body can sell without papers"

Mal felt a shaking buzz through his body and swallowed hard.

"Clear the bridge" he ordered softly. Zoe paused and Burn looked up. They glanced at each other.

"Sir-"

"I said _clear the gorram deck_!" he snarled, spinning to face Zoe. Burn ducked away behind her as she gestured to him, but Zoe stood her ground.

"You'd be wise to remember who you are, Mal. You ain't the only one sufferin'" she said softly, sympathy in her eyes where nobody would see; it was too deep, too hidden. Mal's jaw was clenched so tight she could hear his teeth grinding together. She nodded to him and turned sharply, marching out the door.

Mal collapsed onto the chair and let his face fall into his hands. His shoulders racked with silent sobs. Saffron watched him without a word, thinking of a time long ago now that she had been before this man, naked. Without her clothes was a state that she'd been in before, many times. However, naked, helpless, stripped of all pretence and defence, was a totally different matter. That had been the last time, ever, and only once before that; on her wedding night to Durran Haymer.

She'd back them that leaving him stranded in the desert, stripped the nothing and humiliated, would be revenge enough, but it wasn't. Now she felt almost sickened for the thought that this moment counted as her revenge.

"We weren't even you know, the day I sent you into the desert bare-assed..."

He looked up and saw her soft eyes looking back at him.

"We're even now. Wish I could help more"

The screen went black. The captain stared at it for longer than he could accurately remember, wondering why the hell she hadn't demanded payment, and then suddenly realisation struck him;

Zoe had called him Mal...


	7. Thief's plan

Book groaned and rolled over, blinking heavily. His head was one big ache, and his body was screaming agony. He sat up and tried to ignore it. Where was Inde? That was the important thing. He could worry about the rest of it later.

Wing was sitting beside the pilot, looking out into space, deep in thought. Hearing Book's moan, he turned to face him and gritted his teeth. He should have recognised the little brat the minute Frankie, Tommy, Lee and Jay had dragged them back here. Earl had wanted to shoot them, or at least just leave them. What was the point in taking them if they didn't have a dealer? Atherton had secretly bulked at shooting children, and had seen an opportunity for a profit, without their dealer's cut. Atherton had sworn at Frankie for contacting him before he'd seen the goods. After taking the younger boy down to quarters below, he'd put Frankie against the wall and made him spill everything they had told the dealer; the Companion, the Firefly, that Dealer had made the connection too. All those things in the same place could only mean one thing; it was the famous Malcolm Reynolds and his tight knit crew.

Atherton sighed and wished he'd asked earlier. Now the only thing to do was alter their course and head for Patrice; they wouldn't be able to sell without a registered dealer on Hexon, but they stood a chance at Patrice.

"Where the hell is my brother?"

Atherton didn't turn around. Book dragged himself to his feet, holding tightly to the bars of the cage.

"He is safe, little Reynolds"

"Yeah, coz I really believe you" Book snorted contemptuously. The Core man showed no real reaction, continuing to stare blankly out the window, lost in his plans and memories. Book was quiet for a long time, giving the bars a tug and realising his lock picks had either been taken, or were with Inde and his jacket.

"It ain't gunna work, ye know" Book broke the silence, letting himself slowly and stiffly down to the floor. This time, Atherton turned to look at the boy.

"Oh really?"

He nodded, then winced and rubbed the back of his neck.

"My aunt's a Reader. She'll find you, and they'll tear you apart"

Atherton sneered and said nothing. It killed him that he couldn't hold the gaze of those ebony eyes; his slut of a mother's eyes.

"No matter. Your father had this coming. It's time for a rematch"

Book laughed softly.

"Good luck with that Winger. My dad's a hero. You're nothing but a Core-bred fancy tryna fit in at the end of the 'Verse"

Atherton snarled and threw himself across the room at the cage, slamming a sword through the bars, ready to run Book through and through. The hilt rammed between two bars and held fast, just as the tip of the blade tickled Book's throat. A thrill raced through him, but no fear registered in his eyes, which kept staring back at Atherton, cold and dark and maddened. Behind him, the pilot sat up and stared at him. When he was assured that Atherton wasn't gunna kill his meal ticket, he turned back to the controls.

"What are you gunna do? Kill me? What's the price going for a _dead _slave nowadays, Atherton?"

"You shut your mouth or by God I'll cut your tongue out"

Book smirked, and suddenly he was his father; the gleam in his eyes, the proud chin, the self-satisfied and cocky grin. Atherton growled and ripped the rapier out, swinging it experimentally.

"I nearly killed your father with this sword, Book Reynolds. He challenged me to a duel, one which I should have won by rights. I am the greatest swordsman in the 'Verse!-"

"Modest too"

Atherton ignored him. He surveyed the shining blade, testing its point with his thumb. It came away with a dot of blood welling on his skin.

"Your mother, the _slut_ interrupted the duel and promised me to be my personal Companion. She gave herself to _me_. _Mine_…and then, Malcolm Reynolds attacked me, took me by surprise, the cad! Bastard…she should have been mine… and he should be dead"

He looked at Book, whose jaw was set and eyes wide.

"I intend to fix that"


	8. Acquaintance from Patrice

"So, Patrice?"

Mal nodded his eyes glassy and faraway. Inara squeezed his hand, wishing she could do more to help him. He glanced at her and nodded heavily, trying to relax her. She wished suddenly he could lie better and as if reading her mind, Mal gave a twisted sort of smile and kissed her mouth gently, reassuringly.

He accepted a mug of Kaylee's engine brew from Zoe without looking at it and took a slug of it like it was water. Simon raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"Kaylee, can any more speed be coaxed from that engine?"

She shook her head sadly.

"Sorry cap'n. Not unless we wanna blow sommat we'll be needing"

He sighed shortly and said nothing. He was chewing the inside of his lip when he spoke again. They could hear the plans being built in his head; the crackling of unloaded gunpowder could already be heard.

" How's Jayne doing, doc?"

Simon shook his head briskly.

"He's going to be out for this one, captain. We'll need to pick up some things, heavier medication and gauze mostly, soon"

Mal nodded, a new weight on his shoulders as he stood. He looked at Inara.

"You got anyone we can call in a favour with on Patrice?" he asked her softly. Her large dark eyes looked up at him, searchingly.

"I don't know. Should I look into my old contacts?"

If anybody noticed the emphasis she put onto the word 'old' they didn't comment. Slowly they were all moving away. Kaylee to the engine room, Simon back up to the infirmary, Zoe to check on the children, who were down in the cargo hold.

Mal swallowed, deep in thought. He waited until they were alone before he leaned his forehead on hers, pulling her close.

"I dunno, 'Nara. Can I ask you that?"

His words were hesitant. Inara took a long, shallow breath and blinked rapidly for a long moment.

"Yes, Mal, you can. This is our sons"

He nodded and paused. Then he pulled away and tapped his belt, his careful mask in place.

"Got captainy things to be doing" he said with gratitude in his voice that he couldn't show in his words.

She watched him stride off and listened to his persistent strides long after he had disappeared from view. It was unbearably cold without him there with her and she pulled her wrap closer. With progressively more confident strides, she made her way to her old shuttle. Most of her things were in the bunk that she and Mal shared now, and some of them were sold for a tidy sum, or donated back to the Training House. A few things remained in the back of the shuttle, in limbo.

She blew dust away from the screen and powered it up. At the back of her mind she remembered a man from Patrice, a lawman on the slave moon. A good man, but one of those who'd asked her to marry her and lavished her with gifts there was no way he could afford. Maybe she should have felt bad about using it against him...but then, where her children were concerned, there were all sorts of lines she was willing to cross...

As Inara was busy in her shuttle, River was guiding them through the Black, a hound with a faint scent. Half the time she spent making educated guesses as she traced the fading trace through space. They knew they were heading for Patrice, but her mind was a whirl of alternate decisions. Hatred, lots of it, and a sword clanging against cage bars. A nestling in a dark box and Captain Daddy's eyes looking for light and stomping feet in heavy boots.

"There is a problem for the sword, and a solution in a double-cross of nest thieves, payback for the sword in the double-cross. Lots of hatred, burning, twirling, hard to follow, path keeps changing, switching like a coin tossed in the air, dancing round and round and falling. Bang, bang, bang, and the sword is drinking blood..."

"Riv! River-girl, come back to me, what the hell are you doing?"

She shook herself back to being, and the strength went out of her. If Jayne hadn't been there, she would have fallen into a heap into the floor. As it was, he staggered a bit and fell back against the wall outside the infirmary, holding her tighter than he should have against his chest.

"River-girl?" he murmured gently. She was tucked into his arms, half curled up between him and the wall. She breathed softly, shallowly, her eyes tightly closed. Slowly, she seemed to come around, opening her eyes and taking her own weight. She sighed and looked around with glassy eyes.

"She spends it looking into the scent, drifting into blackness and disappearing and soon she disappears too" she whispered.

Jayne swallowed and took her face in his hands, wincing a little as he adjusted his footing. He'd been laying in the infirmary half asleep when he heard her walking down the stairs, her nails scraping on the steel sides.

"River, we're gunna find them. We know where they are. Yer no good to us if yer heads in crazy-town and ye start cutting people up with butchers knives or some such"

She looked at him, her eyes half-shuttered and dark. Jayne grumbled something, sighed, and slid his arms around her, putting his back to the wall and carefully levering himself to the floor. He planted a tender kiss on her head, tucked against her chest nest to a fistful of his shirt.

"I gotcha baby girl, and ain't ever letting you go. So ya better get your skinny little ass back to bein' sane as ye ev'r git, ya hear?"

Inara's footsteps on the metal grating woke River an hour later and she sat up, trying to remember where she was and how she got there. Fear coursed through when she looked down at Jayne, pale below her. She turned her terrified gaze to Inara, who surveyed the situation and knelt by them.

"River, what's happened?"

"Jayne? Jayne? She...I, Inara, I'm crazy again! I hurt him" she had her hands on Jayne's shoulders, shaking him as tears trickled down her face. Inara grabbed her hands.

"River, I don't think you did this-listen to me, River! Go and find Simon. Look, his pulse is strong, he's just asleep, and I don't think he's burst his stitches, okay? Go get Simon!"

Sobbing, River threw herself to her feet.

"Aye Crazy, whatcha making a racket about?" grouched Jayne suddenly.

River spun and sat down on the floor, staring at him. She read his pain through the haze of Simon's drugs that had been all she had been able to read, then his confusion and worry.

"My head hurts" she whispered and promptly passed out cold.

Inara made Jayne get back into bed and hauled River onto the other bunk. She fetched Simon and left the doctor in the midst of giving River a stern talking to while he argued with Jayne at the same time. She found Mal with Kaylee, reviewing the engine. He looked up and saw her standing in the doorway, nodded.

"Alrighty Kaylee girl. She crashes, you crashed her"

The little mechanic huffed and sprawled back on the floor, her top half disappearing under _Serenity's _heart. Mal pulled himself up into the walkway and searched Inara's face.

"Tell me you got some good news for me, 'Nara?"

She smiled tightly.

"I contacted an...acquaintance on Patrice. He's a marshal. He'll keep an eye out for the boys and hold them till we arrive"

Mal let a heavy breath out and relaxed his shoulders. Inara put her hand on his arm and let him pull her in gruffly for a relieved embrace. A moment later he blinked and pulled away. Their eyes met fiercely, hotly, with a sense of foreboding. They were going to be having a conversation soon, but for now it was on hold until they found their boys. Suddenly, Inara remembered the other reason she had come to find him and braced herself.

"River had a breakdown. She's in the infirmary with Jayne and Simon"

His eyes widened.

"_Ni ta ma de. Tianxia suoyoude ren. Dou gaisi_! I can't be down both of my gorram gun hands walking into this!"

"Mal..." Inara started warningly. He brushed past her and stomped down the hall, towards the infirmary. She started after him for a pace, and then paused, thinking.

"Per'aps you'd be best to let him butt heads with Simon for a bit, 'Nara" said a voice behind her. Inara turned and found Kaylee leaning in the doorway, wiping her hands on a rag and a curved streak of oil across her forehead. Inara heard Mal storm up the flight of stairs to the infirmary and sighed.

"Yes, I think you are probably right, Kaylee. How goes the engine repairs?"

Kaylee snorted shortly, tiredly.

"Sorry 'Nara, but I've had more than enough of Captain Dummy talk for today"

She nodded, her heart heavy. If Kaylee looked and sounded as deflated and impatient as the rest of them, things were getting really bad. They needed the boys back, soon.

"Mm. I think I'm beginning to understand the feeling"


	9. The trap is sprung

"Officers. How can I help you, here?"

Wing's heart was beating very fast. The three marshals had checked the other ships docking as well, and it didn't look like routine checks. They looked very serious. He readied a bribe in his palm and reached to shake their hands.

"We'd like to inspect the cargo" said the biggest one shortly, his outstretched hand ignored pointedly. Wind smiled tightly as the two other men made their way around him and into the ship. He spoke loudly, hoping to sway them before they discovered anything or the morons in the crew decided to do anything stupid.

"I'm afraid it's not really worth checking out. Just a couple of orphans from the Rim. We have no papers for them, you know how these things are sometimes"

A pair of dangerously intelligent eyes narrowed.

"You realise that it is an illegal practise to trade in slaves without papers, mister...?"

"Wing. I'm the agent for this vessel, and I was just on my way to see to some papers for the boys, when you arrived"

"Of course, well, this should only take a moment anyway-"

"Sir!"

The officer looked over Wing's shoulder, who cursed softly. One of the marshals stood at the start of the gangway, one hand on each of the boy's shoulders. Book looked straight at Wind, victory in his swollen eyes. Inde, squinting in the sudden light, merged closer to his brother's side.

The officer pulled a digital capture from his breast pocket and gave it a cursory glance. A group of people sang happy birthday to a girl in red overalls; two of them, which had been pointed out to the officer, were the two beaten young men before him, without a doubt. The smaller; blonde, blue eyed, in tan trousers and big boots. The larger one; dark of eye and hair, and would one day be very handsome in his grey shirt and blue denim pants.

Now, turning back to the officer, Wing scrambled for his own survival. Unfortunately for Wing, this particular man may have taken bribes from illegal slavers or turned a blind eye to suspicious trade on Patrice for many years, but he owed his utter loyalty to the head marshal, Lawman Craig Jasper. On the plus side, he really didn't like this particularly greasy Core-bred rat that pleaded and tempted him as he expertly slapped cuffs on him.

"Quit your crying, ye mongrel. Ye'll go free. My boss only wants the boys"

The words chilled Wing. There was only one reason that a lawman would have faces for two victims, void of identity, of the thriving illegal human trade. Reynolds must have tracked him somehow and contacted the law in Patrice, paid top dollar for it too.

Wing looked over his shoulder as reinforcements arrived and the rest of his crew was dragged out. Book and Inde sat to the side, and the little one had tears of relief spilling down his hallowed cheeks. Book on the other hand, stared straight at Wing and the crew, committing their features to memory.

"_My aunt's a Reader. She'll find you and they'll tear you apart" _

Wing swore. This couldn't be happening; his revenge, his sweet, sweet revenge was so close he could taste it! Now it was being snatched by the clumsy mitts of these uniformed monkeys!

He tugged on the cuffs and growled wordlessly like an animal. Earl, shoved next to him, glanced sideways and inched away. His mind was already busy with escape options. The first that came to mind being to take the small blade nestled against his Achilles tendon and put it to one of those little brat's throats; they had to be worth something for these pigs to go to all the trouble of holding them all.

Meanwhile, out of range of the town, _Serenity _whooshed down to nestle in a swirling dust cloud in a clearing of the shrubby, stunted landscape around them. River's hands flew through the shutdown sequence while her mind was elsewhere entirely. She saw Earl with his knife to Book's chin, saw Wind in his bloody fantasy; taking Inara like a stolen possession and Mal falling, choking on his own blood. As the tangled paths of future and past combined, she caught Craig Jasper's thoughts of Inara's perfume and graceful presence in his home, and she let it go. Pushing herself away from the control panel, she bit her lip; the pain brought her back to herself.

"Tross? You ain't goin' crazy on us now are ya?"

She turned to see Mal standing in the doorway of the bridge, as well-armed as Jayne on a bad day; bandoliers across his chest, his own gun belt heavy with bullets, Jayne's rifle Kathy slung on his back.

"The nest stealers have been caught in the net; nestlings are not safe yet though" she said by way of explanation. Mal's eyes narrowed.

"My boys are gunna be just dandy, 'Tross, but I needa know iffin your up for this fight"

She stood. As usual she wore breeches and a shirt of Jayne's. Her belt with the knife that was a present from Mal and the one across her chest with bullets for the handgun that Jayne gave her for her birthday transformed her from Reader, little _mei mei, _pilot and 'Tross into a deadly and well-trained killer.

"She-_I _am fine, Captain. Nest will not be whole without the nestlings, River can't flow right without the nest being whole" she added when he looked unconvinced. Mal struggled for less than a second. He needed River, and if she was aware enough to correct herself from talking crazy talk, she was as sane as she was gunna get under the circumstances.

"Alrighty then 'Tross. Don't make me regret this. We're down in the mule in five" he turned to head out the door.

"Captain Daddy?"

He paused.

"Aye, 'Tross?"

Her eyes were faraway and sad and her head had that creepy tilt to it that he still disliked, even after all these years of seeing it.

"There will be blood" she informed him, her voice lapsing onto the edge of sing-song. A chill went through him as he tried to understand, tried not to give into the blind panic in his heart.

"Inde or Book's?"

She shook her head slowly. Mal looked away, hating himself for the relief. He said nothing. He didn't trust himself to. Instead, he headed down into the cargo hold, where Kaylee stood in the circle of Simon's arms, crying softly. Tai-Ao and Shuai-Dan stood to one side; Shuai was doing a last minute check of the mule. They'd recently converted the engine and seating so it could carry up to six, and Shuai and Kaylee had worked almost non-stop on it since its crash on Hazel.

Washburn and Zoe had their heads together on the other side, in the midst of a serious conversation as Zoe checked her guns. Inara stood on the catwalk, watching, no emotion betrayed on her face. Mal walked to stand beside her and looked down at the family fate had carved for them.

Once, Mal remembered, he and Inara had sat here with a jug of Kaylee's brew, looking down at the herd of cows that filled _Serenity_'s hold. He'd recently made another unconscious decision regarding Inara Serra; to stand up for her, to show her in no uncertain terms how special, how amazing and how precious she was. It had backfired of course, but Captain Reynolds was a man who was both gifted and cursed with his luck. That time, his luck had fallen on the bright side, and they'd both made it back home.

"Bring them back, Mal. You have to bring our boys back"

He glanced at her.

"I'll do that, 'Nara" he left the other half of what he wanted to say unsaid, but the words rang solidly as a gong in the air. They didn't look at each other, didn't touch each other, until Inara turned and took his face in her hands.

_...or die trying..._

"Malcolm Reynolds; I _need you _and _we _need our boys. So don't do anything stupid! Do you understand? Nothing stupid!"

He kissed her.

It was one of those slow, epic, breath-taking embraces that sucked out the souls of the lovers and left blazing crimson ice behind. Mal tore away before the contact overwhelmed him and strode down into the bay without another word, without looking back once.

Simon, River, Zoe and Mal loaded up into the mule. Everyone was tense, but at the very least River wasn't spouting dire premonitions that made no sense. The cold, blank look on her cloudy-eyed face was bad enough.


	10. He takes our serenity

The double-storey, clay-walled structure that passed as the centre of law on Patrice, here in her largest dock of Southern, was alive with activity when Atherton and his men were brought in, with Book and Inde being held not far behind them. They were walked into the main room, down a narrow hall, up a flight of stairs, and into an office where a lazy fan shifted the dry air.

A man stood behind a desk; an older gentleman, either in his late forties or his early fifties, in a sharply worn marshal's uniform. Atherton cursed silently; it seemed he was being backed into a corner from where there was no escape. On the outside, his face never changed; it remained interested and polite. The man looked up from a chart spread on his desk and smiled tiredly at them.

"Ah, greetings gentlemen. I am Marshal Craig Jasper. We may have a problem here"

Earl opened his mouth angrily, but Wind quickly stepped on his toe and cut across him, flashing a winning smile across at the marshal.

"There is no problem that cannot be discussed among civilized men" he said. The marshal nodded agreeing.

"I am glad to hear that. Remove those cuffs please, Marshal Rencer...-"Rencer removed Atherton's cuffs and moved along the line to Earl.

"-Just from this man, mind, Rencer" Marshal Jasper spoke sharply. Rencer glanced over his shoulder and removed the key from Earl's cuffs, in front of his body. Shrugging apologetically, Rencer stepped back and Jasper spoke crisply, patiently.

"Now, you see captain...?" he trailed off, looking expectantly at Wind.

"Ray. Captain Earl Ray, Marshal" he lied fluidly, taking the crook's name in case they checked the registration of the ship. The big guy standing to the side frowned but said nothing. Atherton swallowed his reaction of relief.

"Well then, Captain Earl Ray. I received a communication this morning, asking for the location of two young boys, a Master Book Serra-Reynolds and a Master Independence Serra-Reynolds, victims of the illegal slave trade-"he held up his hand to stem the inevitable barrage of excuses or exclamations of innocence- "Now I'm sure that there has been a terrible mistake or miscarriage of justice involved, but the fact is that you were apprehended with the two missing boys in tow and were going to sell them as slaves"

The door behind them opened and Book and Independence were escorted in. Earl didn't look back, but Atherton did, and felt cold sweat break out on his forehead. They'd obviously had a chance to freshen up, and Book had butterfly stitches where his temple had been laid open. His arm was around Inde's shoulders reassuringly.

Marshal smiled at them.

"I just spoke to your aunt, children, ah...Kaylee? Your father's coming to get you boys" he said. Book felt a rush of relief go through him and held Inde tighter as his knees buckled. Wing turned back to the marshal, but before he could speak, Earl spoke up from beside Wing, perhaps judging that he had been silent for long enough.

"We was bringing those boys in coz we heard of that communication on the Cortex, see. We brought them boys in soon as we heard. Brought 'em from a fella jus' outta Perstephonie we did, sir. Heard there might be sommant in way of a re-ward"

Atherton closed his eyes in horror and rounded on Earl as the marshal's eyes narrowed.

"You blithering idiot!" he cried.

Before the guards could react, Atherton had leaped forward, snatched a pistol from the belt of one, firing as he grabbed his rapier from the surprised, limp hands of another marshal. The bullets were firing and Jasper was shouting as Earl and Tommy barrelled into their guards, who went flying backwards towards Book and Inde, who had gone to ground at the first shot. Atherton swung, slit a guard's throat cleaning, opened another's gun hand, and then shot out the light. Dusty light filtered through the blinds, enough to see, but not clearly. Then he bounded forward, past Earl and the rest of the crew, and grabbed Book by the hair.

"Ahh! Lemme go! Lemme-" the boy slammed his heel into Atherton's instep and struggled, shouting. Barely feeling the blow through his heavy boots, Atherton gave Inde a kick as he came running at him, one that sent him flying back.

"INDE!" Book screamed. Atherton put his blade to his throat and smacked him with the butt of the pistol.

"Quit your struggling, you _go tsao de _little _hwoon dahn_ or I'll kill you right now-"

"LET MY BROTHER GO!"

A small, tough ball of fists flew at Atherton, swinging what appeared to be a chair leg. A battle was raging around them; Earl had gotten free of his cuffs and was firing everywhere. Two marshals lay on the floor, either dead or wounded, and so did Tommy, Lee and Jay of Earl's crew. Atherton let go of Book, who dropped heavily to the floor, and swung the empty pistol at Inde. As the little boy dropped and tried to get his bearings with his ears ringing, Atherton came to a terrible decision. He grabbed Inde by the shirt front, smacked him viciously, into unconsciousness and swung him over his shoulder, slashing left and right to clear a path, he ran out the door.

People turned to look at him, surprised and frightened at the gunshots and shouting resounding from the second story of the lawman's building. Anarchy was going to be his best friend if he was going to get away...and still get his revenge. The slut and her pimp were already here; that was good. However, the stupidity of Earl Ray was that he now had to think of a new plan.

"Fight! Please, help! They're killing them! Help! They're up there! Help!" Atherton shouted desperately, kick-starting the growing chaos. It worked. A few stupid men with guns ran in to join the maelstrom upstairs, while others screamed and rushed away. In the sudden milling of humans, Atherton disappeared into the crowd.

In the middle of it all, he heard a distinct voice, shouting down through the years.

"Ged outta the damn way! What the hell is going on here? Get the gorram hell outta the way you sons of bitches!" it shouted. Wind paused in the curve of a street corner and looked back. It was an old, retrofitted mule, belching black smoke as a woman moved it through the panicked, thinning crowd. Standing next to her with his thumb tucked into his gun belt, weight evenly balanced on his feet and blue eyes piercing as they scanned for the source of disturbance.

Atherton on looked back out the main street in the direction they'd come. His eyes narrowed, he made a few quick assumptions and then he stepped into the side-street, hailing a man on a hover craft. The craft slowed and the man looked confused, then concerned, by this ragged creature with a flimsy looking sword and a small child over his shoulder.

"Thank-you, thank-you so much, oh my God, I don't know what to-"

The driver gave a bird-like cry as the wicked point slashed open his face, throwing himself backwards and out of the craft. Atherton threw himself into the driver's seat, tossed Inde in the back like a sack of garbage and tore out into the street, out of town.

River pulled up in front of the deserted marshal's station and Mal hit the ground running with Zoe right beside him, pumping her shot gun. They were greeted by the grim faces of two lawmen coming out of the building, looking battered, followed by a trickling of others. Mal scanned their faces for Craig Jasper and found him, limping beside a big marshal with blood on his shoulder, giving orders.

"You Craig Jasper?" Mal directed him, cutting to the chase with the delicacy of a machete. Jasper turned and looked at the strong, lean man with brilliant blue eyes. He was flanked by two woman, one a dangerous looking, dark-skinned warrior, the other a willowy young woman with insanity glowing in chocolate brown eyes. Behind him was another man, tall and angular with the same sharp features as the willowy girl.

"Malcolm Reynolds?"

"Aye. What in seven hells is going on here?"

Jasper sighed heavily and opened his mouth to reply when suddenly the brown-eyed woman went still and stiff. She grabbed Mal's shoulder and pointed at a second level window. A face appeared there for a second as the blinds were shifted.

"Nestling thief Earl has Book with knife to his trachea, threats bubbling. It is an old enemy, Captain Daddy, and he has taken little-Mal...taken him back to the nest...wants the silken Ambassador to put in a case like a pretty doll" she murmured, her words fast but clear. She looked at Mal, expression suddenly vicious.

"This thief will make demands, but makes more mistakes. Trust him-" she nodded at the bemused looking Craig Jasper, backing away with her quick dancer's steps- "We must go back to ship. Blood flows on the point of steel..."

"Blood onna what? 'Tross, what-"

"There is another, the swordsman, and he has Independence and he's doubling back to _Serenity_!" she snapped, clarifying as Zoe slammed the mule into gear. Simon had leaped into behind her as soon as he realised what River was saying. Half-way up the side of the mule, River suddenly jerked and, with the sound of blood roaring in her ears, saw into the ever-shifting future.

She saw Simon, running forward, shouting Kaylee's name, through the tree line near _Serenity _and a bullet, flying through the air and meeting his beating heart, too deep to retrieve. He was falling back, the vision was whirling, flying, and there he was; the thief, a smoking pistol in his hand as, snarling, he watched as Simon fell to earth.

"River, _mei mei _please! River, come back to me!" it was her brother's voice that dragged her back to her own consciousness and she gasped, grabbing at his arm.

"Zoe, stop, stop! Simon cannot come, Simon must stay here!"

Confused, she began to slow the mule, looking at Simon, who grabbed River's shoulders.

"River, I have to come!"

She shook her head.

"He needs to stay away. Simon, you look after me, you can't fix yourself. If you follow the River, the river will run red"

She could feel his pain, his tearing confusion; his need to get to his family, his need to look after her, conflicting inside him in a boiling mess. It intruded harshly on her senses and she blocked it savagely, letting anger flow through her. Anger was simple; it was easier to control.

"Stay!" she pushed his chest. His back hit the side of the mule and he stared at her, wide eyed. She glared back at him.

"What about Kay and the twins? You need a doctor onsite-"

"_You cannot fix yourself_! Now _stay_!" she snarled, reached forward and pushing Zoe's shoulder pointedly. The impact of her small hand ran down the browned woman's arm and slid the throttle forward. Zoe took the hint and glanced back at Simon.

"I'll look after 'em. Stay here and don't get yourself killed!" she ordered him as, dazed, he jumped back from the mule, stumbling as he landed on the dusty ground.

"River, are they okay?" Simon shouted desperately as they took off again. She didn't hear him. Another vision had grabbed the pit of her stomach and pulled her into the future.

It was Tai-Ao, standing over his mother, staring helplessly at his sister as her blood leaked through across the floor of the cargo bay. There were tears of fear and helplessness spilling down his face, down Simon's sharp cheekbones. He held out his hands.

"_I can fly the ship. Let them all go, and I'll fly you out of here"_

Gasping, she drew herself out of the vision and looked forward into Zoe's worried, dark eyes, trying to watch her and navigate the panicked traffic around her. Word of a hold up at the marshal's station had spread.

"Honey, River! C'mon, what's going on?"

"He takes our serenity if he succeeds, and the brother's...nephews, son, boy" she spluttered with the words, her head spinning sickeningly. Zoe frowned, processing the words, and then went pale.

"You don't mean Tai, do you?"

River nodded. Zoe turned and gunned it.


	11. The swordsman

Inara was still standing on the catwalk where she had watched the mule take off from when Shuai -Dan walked up beside her on cat-like feet.

"Aunt 'Nara?"

Inara jumped, taken by surprise, and forced a smile, holding a delicate hand to her breast.

"Shuai , honey, you scared me out of ten years of my life!"

Shuai -Dan tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. With an understanding nod, Inara put her arm around the girl's small shoulders and rested her head on her breast comfortingly. Shuai put her arm around Inara's waist and they stood there, holding each other. Tears fought their way from behind Shuai 's control and slipped down her face.

"Its gunna be okay, innit, 'Nara?" she forced herself to say it, pleadingly. She wasn't pleading Inara; she was pleading with anyone and anything that could help them. _Serenity _was an intricate web and every strand was connected to the next. It was why they made such a brilliant team and family. It also meant that every interaction had repercussions that were felt throughout the group. A pair of strands being tugged away was a recipe for the collapse of the entire web. It was a wonder they'd held it together this long, but the effort left every member stretched and thin with exhaustion.

"Everything's going to be fine, Shuai -Dan, my darling...just fine" murmured Inara in reply; soothing, mechanical...instinctive. First and foremost, the children of _Serenity _were to be protected from all comers, all enemies. Even enemies like fear and insecurity. So when the world was falling down around her ears, Inara fell back on an old habit; to smile serenely and whisper calming nothings.

Footfalls behind them made Inara look over her shoulder. For a moment she blinked rapidly, her heart stopping, before chastening herself for it. Stepping out of the darkness of the hallway in a Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned and a black t-shirt underneath, young Washburn looked enough like his father to make any of the adults to a double take. As soon as he stepped into the light however, the steel and darkness of his mother became apparent.

"Hey 'Burn" Shuai greeted him first. He looked at her and gave a tired half-smile. Their eyes met and the gaze held for a whole moment longer than was necessary. Inara raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been a Companion since she Mal told her he loved her, since they'd broken themselves and smashed their walls and found each other perfectly okay with the entire thing. Nevertheless, her training held. The expression on the faces of these two young people was beautifully promising. A crush for now, but it would blossom and grow as they did. She hoped it was given a chance to do so, and made a mental note to talk to the Tam's and Zoe about it...actually, Zoe wouldn't mind. Simon would be shocked and choke and splutter, and Kaylee would be delighted. Mal and Jayne, however, may pose a pair of hulking, unimpressed monoliths.

She blinked away sudden tears. That was, of course, if they both survived the coming trials. Kaylee was in the infirmary, sitting with Jayne. Suddenly, a noise drew her attention outside and her heart leaped into her mouth. Turning, she looked down, craning her neck to see out the open gangway.

"Go get Kaylee, I think they're back!"

She rushed down the stairs with Washburn close on her heels. Tai-Ao came down the stairs at Inara's call, taking them two at a time and passing Shuai -Dan on her way to the infirmary to get Kaylee.

Inara stumbled on the last step and a grin split across her face as the engine cut outside. Thank God! They were okay! She hadn't lied to Shuai ; everything was going to be just...

Burn suddenly grabbed her arm. Tai-Ao had said something and stopped dead at the base of the stairs. Inara looked at them questioningly.

"That ain't the mule-"

"Quite right, boy. Excellent work"

Inara spun, an involuntary cry clawing up the slender column of her throat.

"Inde!..." her voice trailed off in a shocked gasp for the air that had been ripped from her. The man stood proud and arrogant in the doorway to her home and sanctuary, holding a gun under Independence's chin. His dark eyes raked her figure, stripping her as though she were already naked, examining her like a buyer would study an intricate vase.

"Inara Serra. You are still quite worth the trouble I have gone through for you"

Inara was staring helplessly, frozen to the spot, as Independence lift his slumped head and met her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but Wind pushed the barrel of the pistol harder into his jaw, forcing it closed. He stepped further into the cargo bay as running footsteps echoed on the metal, swinging the pistol up and losing a shot. There was a scream and Inara dragged Washburn and Tai-Ao to the ground.

"Kaylee!" "Mum!" "NO!"

Wing ignored the panic boiling through the hold and kept his gun on the catwalk with Inde's windpipe pinched in his elbow joint, holding him up so he had to stand on tip-toes to keep breathing.

"You up there! I have the boy and I will not hesitate to snap his neck! Come down _slowly _with your hands in the air!"

A moment later, a shaking Kaylee appeared with her hands above her head, face pale. Nobody followed her. Inara scanned for Shuai -Dan, but saw nothing. Tai-Ao took a step towards Kaylee as she started down the stairs, terrified eyes on Atherton, only to have the gun in Wind's hand brandished at him. Trembling, the boy stepped back, into the shelter Inara's feeble body shield gave. Kaylee met Inara's eyes as she took Tai-Ao in her arms, holding his shaking body. There was strength there that belied the colour of her face; the strength of a mother protecting her child was like no other in the world.

With an imperceptible nod to her, Inara turned her head back to Atherton and Inde, trying to smile reassuringly at her little boy. She knew it came out mangled, but it was plausible he was so busy trying to stay alive that he didn't even noticed it.

"Atherton, please. We're not going to try anything. Let him go, for God's sake" she begged him, her voice collected even as she struggled with tears. A smirk, a cruel edge of hatred and victory skated across Wing's features.

"Let me tell you what is going to happen, Inara. You are going come with me. Without argument and without having some silly escape plan, to be my personal Companion! As it should have been! Then and only then will I let your son go! If you're lucky, I might even let their cheating coward of a father live!"

"_Jien tah-duh guay_!" she exclaimed, her perfectly manicured nails making fists in a show of defiance. Her last, it appeared, as Atherton lifted Inde off his feet and tightened his hold on his throat, forcing him to choke and grunt, feet kicking uselessly. Kaylee screaming echoed uselessly somewhere in the back of Inara's mind as she took an instinctive step forward, hands before her, a wordless cry of dispute bubbling from her lips.

A war cry from the throat of a young girl rebounded around _Serenity_'s steel belly as a figure flew off the catwalk, soaring gracefully as a falcon in its lethal dive, and slamming into Atherton's back and shoulders. The three of them fell in a terrible mess of feet, arms and weapons.

BANG!

The scream exploded around the hold as blood splattered, hot and red against the cool, dark grey metal.

"SHUAI ! _SHUAI_!"

The girl was winged by the bullet and spun away, slamming into the ground. Everyone was moving, and in the middle of it, like the eye of a hurricane, Atherton swung and glided. It was Washburn who roared Shuai 's name and launched himself from behind Inara, his switchblade glinting in his hand. Rising to his feet, Atherton kicked Inde aside with a sound like a wounded puppy, and whipped his rapier into play. Wash managed to duck aside it as it appeared in front of him, but as he recovered, Atherton buried it in his hip, throwing him to the ground. Shoving himself backwards with his wounded leg dragging as though detached, Wash stationed his body over Shuai and snarled wordlessly.

It was then that Kaylee met the man head-on, kicking at his belly while he was distracted. The blow never landed; Atherton dodged it and whirled with the butt of the gun. With a thud, the contact dropped her like a stone. All the while, Inara had rushed, practically under Atherton's feet, to drape herself over Inde and now knelt on her knees, holding him as he sobbed agonisingly. She turned her head and held the boy closer, wide-eyed like a deer as the lion approached, blade dripping blood for a third of its length, the gun still smoking in his hand.

Tai-Ao couldn't move. He had trained with Jayne and River; how to move, strike a blow, block one. How to pull the trigger, how to land a shot just so. He knew how to defend his family and his home. It annoyed him, sometimes, the rigorous training. He would rather be running around, climbing trees or flying. He was a pretty energetic person; couldn't keep still and read like Book could. But behind the controls of the Firefly class, he felt at home. Safe. Calm. As the sound his sister made as she was shot continued to echo in his head, he wished like hell that's where he was. Gliding soundlessly through the stars.

"STOP! Please! Stop this, please!" he shouted, aware now that he had unconsciously moved to stand over his mother's prone body as Atherton stalked Inara. She was standing now, over Independence, her weight balanced on her feet, and swung a swooping kick at Atherton's sword as he came into range. At Tai-Ao's shout, he stepped back and levelled the pistol at Inara, stilling her.

Now he turned, dark eyes lethal, to regard this other boy with the Core-fine features and the earthy quality of the Rim in his gangly limbs and strong posture. With his hands held before him, his entire body quivering, he swallowed hard and spoke.

"I can fly the ship. Let them all go and I'll fly you out of here-"

"Tai, _no_!" "Tai, what the _guay _are you doing you _qing wa cao de liu mang_!" Inara and Wash made their reservations known. He ignored them, looking straight at Atherton, who looked back, measuring him.

"I might have some use for you, boy. Alright. You and my prize are coming with me. The rest of you; outside!"


	12. Panic

Book was fighting to come to consciousness far before he was ready to and he knew it. There were voices, warbling and echoing as if from the wrong end of a very long tunnel. His body would not respond to his demands for movement and the struggle soon exhausted him entirely. So he resided, suspended, and listened.

Zoe, whispered, furtively, softly; "She didn't just _kill _the man, Simon! She never touched the gun, never went for the knife. She tore him apart. With her bare hands!"

Jayne, growling like an enraged bear; "Don't go sticking nothing in her system lest she asks for it, doc! She's a woman now an' grown! Ye can't go treating her like a kid!...ye'll gorram have me to answer for, thats what! You stuck-up, prissy, _go tsao de, hwoon dahn_! _Gun hoe-tze bee dio-se_!"

Mum, and Dad; "This ain't the life I want for them, 'Nara! We coulda lost them, I coulda lost _you_! I can't do this anymore...can't...we've talked this over a million times, but this time...this ain't the life for a pair of kids; thieving and shooting and watching people die, killing...I won't let 'em have this life no more"

"What about _Serenity_? What about the others?"

"They got theirs to worry about too! They'll be fine! These youngin's deserve better'n this"

"Simon and River?"

"Alliance won't go near 'em, not after Miranda"

"That's _fangpi_ Mal and you know it! This is not your choice to make"

His father's angry reply was lost in the haze as Book struggled to comprehend. Dad wanted to leave _Serenity_! He wanted to give it all up. It was all Atherton Wing's fault! A rush of hatred bubbled through Book's half-conscious system as he pictured the man's pale Core face. The fight continued to echo around him even as he fought. He didn't want to leave! This was his home! This ship, these people, were everything he knew and wanted.

"Get Simon!" "Honey, lay still-" "Please, _bao bei _just lay still" "Everything's gunna be okay, Book"

He felt a sharp pain, and then nothing.

"So whatdya reckon they're all talking about?"

"Dunno. But they even told 'Burn to rack off, an' I reckon he's the adult of all us"

"Must be about Auntie River...what she did..."

"Nah, I reckon it's got something to do with the way Uncle Mal and Auntie 'Nara have been actin' all weird; heard Mal talking on the WAVE to a guy in Persephone about buying a ranch"

"A ranch? As is, dirt side?"

Book groaned and shifted his weight, trying to get a good look around. The chorus of voices shushing each other was louder than the entire conversation. The first thing he saw calmed him instantly; Inde, grinning at him brightly from the bedside. The rest of the room focused slowly; there was Washburn, sitting on the other infirmary bed with a pair of crutches leaning against the wall. Beside him was Shuai-Dan, sitting a little closer than was necessary, her arm in a sling and a sickly expression on her face. Tai-Ao was standing in the doorway, obviously trying to hear the conversation in the kitchen, and had now turned to look at Book, grinning.

"About time you woke up, lazy bones" he teased with a grin. Book grimaced and Inde helped him to sit up. Shuai got up and handed him a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted.

"Drink it slow" she warned. He gave her a look and then raised an eyebrow as though suddenly noticing her sling.

"What the _guay _happened to you?"

She gave a death's smirk.

"Got shot. Ain't fun"

Book's eyes widened.

"That Wing _hwoon dan _shootcha?"

She nodded slowly and Book scowled. He met Burn's eyes, who nodded in reply to the unspoken question.

"Bastard had a sword. Got stabbed"

Book opened his mouth to make his feelings on that particular man felt, and then he stopped. There was an undercurrent here that he didn't like. He looked at each of them in turn; at Burn, watching Shuai watching him, at Inde, looking down, at Tai, now listening at the door again.

"What's going on?"

They all looked at each other and, as usual, referred to Washburn. He took a deep breath and looked Book square in the eye.

"It's Auntie River. That Wing guy? She tore him apart. Literally, limb from limb. Uncle Mal freaked out, so did Jayne. Everyone who was there is scared as hell-" He glanced pointedly at Inde, who was still looking at the ground.

"-They're all talking at the moment; my bet is that they all want out of this life, off _Serenity. _They don't won't us to get hurt anymore"

His eyes widened again and he looked around at the other, watching their reactions.

"So what, we're just gunna _let _them?"

Tai-Ao spoke; "C'mon, Book, none of us like it but...I mean, c'mon, Shuai got _shot_! 'Burn got _stabbed_! You and Inde got beat to _guay _and back! This ain't good for us! We're just _kids_!"

"The hell we are! We're kids of _Serenity_! Yeah, so it sucks sometimes, but do you guys seriously see yourselves someplace else? What, sitting in a classroom with a buncha snot-nosed little brats learnin' numbers and how to spell 'cat'? That ain't us! That ain't any of us! Tai-Ao, you're a pilot. Shuai-Dan, you're a mechanic. 'Burn, you're a merc like Jayne, protecting us! Me and Inde, we're backing you guys up, and I dunno what the hell I would do if I weren't keeping your _go se_ prone asses outta trouble! It's...all I've ever, _ever _known..." he was almost crying by the time he finished his rant. All of the children looked guilty. All except Shuai, who was looking at Book with a smile playing her on her lips. She sat up straight.

"Well I'm with ya, Bookie. Ain't no way even my old man an' lady can get me to leave my home. An' _Serenity _is it"

Washburn looked at Shuai with a grin on his face, eyes lit up watching her. The new feelings thrummed through the group. Tai-Ao stood with a frown and his arms crossed.

"I still don't think it's a good idea. I'm going to get Dad, so he can check on Book"

With that, he disappeared through the door. Wash put his hand on his crutches as though to follow him, and then paused. Shuai shook her head lightly.

"Do you know what happened after I got knocked out?" asked Inde. Book shook his head.

"First thing I remember is coming to with a knife across my throat and you were gone. Earl started this whole hostage thing, demanded money and a ship. Dad came in through a window, shot Earl...then nothing. I dunno, I guess I passed out"

"Dad said your body reacted to the shock and shut itself down" supplied Shuai.

"How long have I been out?"

"A day or so" said Burn. Just then, footsteps echoed down the steel grating and Simon appeared at the door with Mal and Inara.

"Mum! Dad!"

The bustle of reunion took prominence for a few minutes as Simon quietly took Book's vitals. Then he stepped back, a stethoscope around his neck.

"Well, he seems fine. All vitals are normal, pupil dilation fine. You bounce back just fine, Book" he said with a small, serious kind of smile. He then hustled Burn and Shuai from the room, leaving Book with Inde, Mal and Inara. Inara had her arm around Inde, holding him, and her hand wrapped around Book's. Mal stood with his arm around Inara's waist and his hand on Book's shoulder. For a long time, they were quiet; each of them somehow connected to each member of this unit of their family. Then Book spoke, quietly, forcefully.

"It was real scary, ye know, not knowing if I was gunna be coming back, or if I was gunna lose Inde-" he gave his little brother a smile- "But, Dad, I don't wanna leave. I really don't. I know you all got a helluva scare an' all, an' I know that seeing...Auntie River...go...crazy was real bad, Inde, but this is our home! This is where we belong! I don't wanna leave!" he blurted it all out in fitful stops and starts. Inara made a small sound of comfort and kissed his forehead.

"Oh, my darling boy. We're not going anywhere"

"But...but Burn said that Dad..." he trailed off, looking at Mal now. Inara gave him a withering glare, and then looked at Book.

"Book, your father can be a little...overdramatic, sometimes. He and I had...discussions, about leaving. But it's all been cleared up now"

"You sure? What were y'all talking about in the kitchen just now?"

Mal and Inara glanced at each other. Unconsciously, Inara's hand tightened around Inde, and Book caught the gesture, then looked at Mal. He was caught between duty, anger and pain.

"Auntie River's okay, ain't she?"

"Isn't, not 'ain't', dear. Yes, she's..."

Mal finished her sentence.

"She's gunna be just fine real soon, Bookie"

Mal watched his family and felt his heart squeeze, caught in a fist of fierce protectiveness, pride and love. It was an overwhelming love that he had no idea that a grizzled and cynical old soldier could possess. Book saw his gritted teeth and looked between Inara and him.

"She's right, isn't she Dad? We ain't going nowhere"

Mal squeezed his shoulder and nodded, unable to speak through his locked jaw. Inara bumped him pointedly and he took a deep breath.

"Book, my son, _Serenity _is where we belong"

"Well I know that. We were just wondering if you did"

"We?"

"Me and 'Burn and Shuai. I dunno about Tai, coz he kinda freaked out, and Inde..."

Inde shook his head when Book looked at him questioningly, one side of his mouth pulling up.

"We're crooks, Bookie. Sometimes it's a bit scary, but you're my brother, so I know I'm gunna be alright"

Book felt his heart swell with his brother's declaration of utter faith. Mal was still looking between them, and suddenly felt a calm settle him. Calm like he'd felt as Inara took his hand in a brilliant red wedding dress, smiling at him from beneath the veil. Calm like he'd felt when he took to the sky for the first time with River at his side.

Calm like everything was going to be alright.

He hadn't realised he said it out loud until Inde replied, with his usual stalwart innocence.

"Course we are. Ships still flying, an' that's enough"


	13. Tiny Feet

River lay in her bunk with Jayne. She opened her eyes, and smiled into the darkness, because for her there was no darkness. Not anymore. The nest thief had been neutralised, and the nestlings were safe. But there had been red darkness, all over her, that she couldn't wash off, scrub out. It was tattooed on her skin and she couldn't get rid of it, no matter how much she screamed. She didn't want to block it out, make it blurry; she just wanted it to go away.

"_Approximately eight pounds pressure to break any bone in the human body, excluding femur, three to five litres of blood per body, male weighing 154 pounds would have about 5.2 litres of blood..." _

"_Riv? River-girl, what's going on?" _

_She ignored the voice. There was so much blood, pouring all over her, spurting directly from the arteries as he screamed. Screamed and screamed and screamed until his voice still echoed in her crowded head. Simon was worried, Kaylee was frightened, Jayne was protective, Mal was distracted; there was too much fear and anger and relief and joy and grief for the river to run right._

" _The obstacle had been removed, but the river still runs red, average human __screams at between 0 and 112.8 decibels, staying in her head like blood stays on the skin..." _

"_River, gorrammit, if you don't open this _go tsao de_ door, I'm gunna break the bastard down!" _

_He tried to shoot her as Zoe took the eyes away. Innocent eyes did not need to see the monster feed. The bullet crossed space, but it would never touch her, never bury in her brain pan, because she was not River, not Albatross, she was the weapon. And she would have her vengeance. _

_There was warmth, simple concern, suppressed anger; he knew anger could push her over the edge. Anger was too hot, too complicated to break into little pieces unless it was in her own head, her anger. So he held her down and protected her from the pounding cold water and the hammering of voices and a million fragments of memories and memories that weren't hers to remember...not yet. _

"_River-girl?" _

_Looking into those blue grey eyes, with oceans of gruff love and tough affection. Simplicity; she was his, to protect, to hold and to stand by. _

"_There is 5.2 litres of blood...dripping...falling...tearing of bones; eight pounds pressure-"_

_He covered her mouth with his and pulled her close to his. Lust overwhelmed her senses; exploding, hot and raw through her mind and body. He held her back, panting, her desire spilling over into him, but he held it back. _

"_Uh uh. Not like that, Crazy. Not like that. Wanna sex _you _not yer crazyness! Now, listen up. You didn't do nothing I wouldna done, _dong ma_?" _

"_Removed his limbs" she whispered, hearing the crackle of bone and cartilage. _

"_Ain't a threat no more. Weren't you out there, were what Alliance made ya to be" he snapped stubbornly. They were quiet for a long time, sitting under the spray of the shower, entwined together. She shivered, taking a shuddering breath, and he pressed her wet, fully clothed body to him, kissing her forehead. _

"_C'mon, River-girl. Let's get you back to bed" _

Beside her, he snored thunderously, his legs tangled in hers, her head resting in the crook of his elbow with her cheek pressed to his hard bicep. The black ink of her name in a single collection of graceful strokes was stark on his skin; the Chinese symbol for 'river'. Her lips tickled his skin as she kissed it and he grunted, half opening his eyes. She looked back at him, serious now. He wriggled, holding their naked bodies closer and sighing contentedly. His mind was all white fluff, no fully conscious thoughts, as he drifted into a grey dream again; red dirt and black skies and brown eyes.

She smiled, knowing he had no idea. Only she knew; a little secret, one of the good sort, just for River Tam. Suddenly, there was a crashing above them, coupled with a squeal and laughter that could only be Tai-Ao. A threat was issued, and a challenge, and sudden thunder drowned out Jayne's. With a grunting growl, he jolted and was fully awake with thoughts of murder and mayhem blackening his mood.

"Tiny feet" she whispered. He disentangled them and threw his feet outta bed, storming to the porthole up before remembering Mal's 'no naked Jayne' rule, and stormed back, yanking on a pair of tattered cotton boxers.

"Gorram hell tiny rutting feet! Imma gunna tear those gorrom _hwoon duns _into bite-sized gorram-SHUT THE HELL UP THERE OR I SWEAR YER GUNNA HAVE MY LEFT GORRAM BOOT UP YOUR ARSE!"

"GORRAMMIT JAYNE JUST WAKE THE WHOLE DAMN SHIP WHY DONCHA?"

"WAS SIMON'S GORRAM LOIN-FRUIT WHAT DONE IT!"

He slammed the porthole shut before Mal could come up with a reply, smirking victoriously. He turned back into his bunk and saw River. He immediately felt warmth heating up all good parts of him; her pale skin made a delicious contrast to his grey blankets, her brown hair tangled with cooled sweat and splayed across their pillows. And if that wasn't good enough, the rest of his girls gleamed dully behind her. It was the perfect vision. Then he frowned.

River was curled, one leg escaping the warmth of the blankets, her face buried in the pillows, muttering. He approached warily. He thought she was okay. It had been a fortnight at least since she had her fist major breakdown in years. They'd already done a job, and were on their way to another today, and she'd been fine. They'd all been damn nervous about letting her out on the field so soon, but she'd been okay. Only once did she ask Simon for a soother, when she felt the loose hysteria coming on.

"Riv, you alright?"

She opened one eye and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

"Not coming out. Tiny feet trample and need to sleep. I am staying here; bed is warm and soft and it loves me"

He raised an eyebrow, surprised and a little touched somewhere in his old mercenary heart. She sounded like a sulky child who didn't want to go to school.

"Riv, the bed ain't living, it can't love ya" he teased lightly, probing this new territory. She peeked out of one eye again, a glint there.

"Yes, but you can get into bed, and then it can love me"

Now he really was surprised. River? Being playful? About sex? Sexing was always such a serious, precious thing to her, almost like praying. Not that he minded; sex with River Tam and her long, flexible limbs was the closest damn thing to a religious experience as he was ever gunna get.

"We gotta job today, ye know"

That would get her out of bed. Mornings were always River's time. She would be up and out of bed, usually a long time before Jayne, and come in after her morning work-out to change, tasting like salt and sex. Least she did afterwards; girl had no business looking so gorram tasty in leggings and a singlet all slick and red-faced. Anyway, she always bounded out in the morning like a thin, beaming shock of caffeine with Jayne trailing, half-asleep and grumbling behind her.

Apparently, not even the thought of the job that needed to be prepared for was enough to rouse her this morning. If anything, she buried herself more firmly into the covers.

"Too early. Not getting up. Tiny feet need rest"

He sighed and started getting dressed, knowing Mal was gunna be in an arse-kicking mood if they didn't move themselves, and not seeing how her staying in bed was going to make the obviously very awake children go back to sleep. She smiled into the mattress at his thoughts.

"New addition, another pair of thundering early waking the bear"

He pulled his shirt on, still looking at her, confused and frowning.

"Crazy, you don't need a soother do you?"

She sat up stretching languidly with a dreamy smile on her face that somehow changed her features from pretty to achingly beautiful. He felt himself fall for her all over again even as he tried to control his concern for her well-being. A part of him, the part of him that was still a selfish gun-for-hire, reminded himself swiftly that any concern for her health stemmed from the simple fact that his chances of getting a bullet in his hide were a helluva lot less with her around. Ninety-five percent decreased, actually.

"No, Jayne, mustn't have soother. Composition of current shot is not beneficial to my condition"

"Yer what?"

She smiled softly, serenely at him and he gave up. He knew that look; he wasn't going to be getting anything else out of her anytime soon. Mebbe he'd go ask the doc what the hell was going on...

"I'll go git ya a cuppa" he grouched reluctantly, starting up the ladder. Her laugh tinkled.

"No thank-you Jayne. Caffeinated beverage also unworthy of her current circumstance"

He paused and looked back at her frowning hoping for one of her one line explanation she often gave Mal or the others. Usually he could get what she was saying. Maybe it was just the morning, but at the moment her words were passing through his ears completely not understood. Instead of an explanation, he got another smile and a dismissive flap of her hand.

The porthole slammed shut behind him and River lay back, her hands gently caressing her navel.

"Little spark with little feet, dancing; you're mother's little secret, aren't you? Just for a little bit, I'm going to have you all to myself"


	14. Author's End note

Afterword

I hope you have all enjoyed the edited version of 'Taken'! I have certainly enjoyed bettering this adventure. Well, at least I hope I have bettered it. If I haven't, please feel free to reveiw or messege me.

'Taken' is a work of pure Fanfiction. I own nothing and characters and trademarks belong to their respective owners. To use the common; 'Joss is Boss' and is damn good at it, if I may.

Thank-you, as usual, to my wonderful readers and reveiwers.

Finally; A translation of pidgin and traditional Chinese terms used in 'Taken' from 'Serenity' and 'Firefly'

_**Ta ma de-**_** Damn it!**

_**Qing wa cao de liu mang- **_**Frog-humping son of a bitch**

_**Bizui-**_** Shut up **

****

_Mei ren_- beautiful woman

_Siao di di_- little brother/little boy

_**Bao bei**_**- Darling/sweetheart/precious object **

_**Go tsao de-**_** Dog-humping**

_**Hwoon dan- **_**Jerk **

_**Wuh de tyen, ah- **_**Dear God in Heaven **

_**Go se- **_**shit**

_**Mei-mei**_**- Little sister **

_**Ni ta ma de. Tianxia suoyoude ren. Dou gaisi-**_** Everyone under the Heavens ought to die**

_**Jien tah-duh guay-**_** Like hell**

_**Guay-**_**Hell **

**And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that. **


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